As a veteran ..what has been you biggest challenge to find a career after the military

SFC Jesse Wyant — Fri, 23 May 2014 18:55:59 -0400

I have been retired since September 2011 and have had difficulty "moving on" and finding that next career that gives me the fulfillment that I had in the military. I was medically retired so my separation was not as much of a choice as I would have wanted it to be. OK to put it simply I did not want to get out and if I could go back tomorrow I would. Since I never planned to get out of the military I also never received a college degree and now find it hard to acquire a career that truly gives me the sense of worth I had in the military. Yes I know I should have gotten a degree while I was in the military but the fact is I didn't and I refuse to spend money to go to school now without finding the true career path I desire. I know I want a physical career like labor, construction, law enforcement, etc. What are your thoughts and experiences? I have always been told by civilians that I should have no issue finding a great career because of my military experience but it seems to me once you have retired or separated from the military no one really cares what you use to be. Any thoughts on careers that have paid training or headhunters that work well will veterans?

Response by SPC Charles Brown made May 23 at 2014 8:28 PM

SPC Charles Brown — Fri, 23 May 2014 20:28:46 -0400

Simply put, getting a civilian employer to hire a disabled veteran.

Response by Capt Whitney Davis made May 24 at 2014 1:42 AM

Capt Whitney Davis — Sat, 24 May 2014 01:42:35 -0400

You're right SFC, no one cares what you did before (whether you're a veteran or not), unless you make them care. That can be done with a well written resume and some strong interview prep. Businesses have to consider how much it will cost to get new hires up to speed, and like it or not, many veterans are going to need some training that civilians won't. Sell the soft skills you've learned in the military: decisiveness, accountability, judgement, ... because these are very valuable and very hard to teach.

That said, I think your problem is much more common than one would guess from looking at message boards and the news. Most young service members leave the military without having had any other career. Or any exposure to any other career.

As such, it is very difficult to know what you want to do. I would suggest joining a local veterans' organization (VFW, for example) and talking with vets that have been in the world awhile. There are also some Chambers of Commerce with programs to help veterans find what they want to do through internships (I know of 1, in San Diego, but I imagine there are more).

Finally, pick something that looks somewhat interesting and throw yourself into it. You're not signing a 4 year contract. If you don't like it you can always look for something else knowing, at least, what you don't like.

Response by SFC Charles W. Robinson made Dec 8 at 2014 12:52 PM

SFC Charles W. Robinson — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 12:52:36 -0500

I was like you. I retired after having some medical challenges. I was on track to have my degree done, but the medical challenges my last year in made it to difficult. I did not know what I wanted to do neither.

I was lucky though and found a new position as an HR Director for a non-profit (paid position) during my terminal leave and actually had a one month overlap with now down time at all. I worked for this great company for a year and a half and realized that I did not want to spend the rest of my days staring a file cabinets and having little to no contact with people (We had 9 locations in 7 counties).

I decided to go back to college to finish off my Bachelors Degree in Business, but changed my major to marketing my first semester. I finally figured out what I missed the most about being in the military - that was being part of a team and interacting with people everyday. I really liked my marketing class and see it as a way to also fill that void from the military.

I have a IT background from the military. I had been working on a BA Degree in Business Information Systems. While working for the non-profit as a Director of HR I also ran their IT, Website, and Facebook. And now I am working on my Marketing degree. I was not sure how to link all that together. I finally figured out what I want to specialize in this semester and how I could link everything together. I took a class on internet marketing and really enjoyed it. I got several job offerings this semester as well (through LinkedIn) and I accepted a position with a local Digital Marketing company. I will be starting with them this next year.

Look at your skill sets and experience. Look at what you enjoy. Get a general idea of what you want to do. Go back to college and explore that industry. You will be surprised on what you find along the way.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2014 1:04 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:04:54 -0500

Unfortunately, in today's job market, even a bachelor's degree is often not enough to gain meaningful employment.

However, that is not to say that you are unemployable. Many transitioning service commonly make the mistake of trying to translate their military experience to a position as a salaried manager in the private sector, and that is simply not relevant to hiring managers.

The reality is, in the private sector, you are more likely to transition into a position in which you feel underpaid and underemployed. Many companies are unwilling to place prior service members into management because that is a huge risk. We do not have experience in managing profit and loss is the most common reason why.

The good news is, service members have the qualities to be successful and rise rapidly in the private sector. Ultimately, I think it depends on what your ego is willing to accept as gainful employment.

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 31 at 2019 7:58 AM

Col Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:58:58 -0400

I’d recommend taking project management classes and get a certification. It seems like that is the bridge between military and civilian and it can be applied toward a business degree if you choose to go back to college. Most community colleges offer technical courses so you can train or try something out with only a little expense if at all. Depending on your VA rating, it may be free.

You will definitely need to sell yourself in any job that you’re applying for. Take a look at what companies you’d like to work for and go and talk to people there on how you can or can’t move up. A lot of us have to initially take a less satisfying job on our path to better things. Most civilians have no idea what it means to be a vet, so you have to figure out how to meet them where they are.

VA has technical training and classes on how to help with this. If not Close to you, look at hiring a company who will guide you in your resume and interviewing techniques.

Good luck!

Response by SSG Alan Kaiser made Jul 19 at 2021 6:16 AM

SSG Alan Kaiser — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 06:16:11 -0400

law enforcement, but there is no money in it.